This project will fund a feasibility study of a commercially available, remote-controlled tree pruning unit to evaluate whether the technology can reduce fuel zones and subsequent fire risk on P. radiata plantation edges.

Root-borne diseases are increasingly affecting tree production nurseries, lowering productivity and profitability. This project will improve nursery management by defining the right balance of fertilizer, fungicide and microbial inoculum to break the disease cycle, and use field trials to refine treatments to improve establishment and resilience post-planting.

This project forms part of a series that aims to at least double the rate of genetic gain in pine tree breeding in Australia. This project will focus on the extensive network of trials and orchards in the Gippsland region of Victoria to further implement cutting-edge single-step genomic selection, provide pedigree and identity assurance for the radiata pine breeding and deployment populations, and deliver new, high-throughput sample processing methods.